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Author: Jeremy Black

Jeremy Black is Professor of History at the University of Exeter.
Jeremy is a prolific lecturer and writer, the author of over 100 books. Many concern aspects of eighteenth-century British, European and American political, diplomatic and military history, but he has also published on the history of the press, cartography, warfare, culture and on the nature and uses of history itself.

Praise for War and its Causes

“A fascinating account of war as an institution by one of the preeminent students of the subject. By examining wars in their evolving cultural, political, and technological settings, Black offers important insights into the current practice of the use of force by states and intelligent speculation about the future.”
—Richard Ned Lebow, King’s College London

“From Thucydides to Mary Kaldor, from Ming and Qing China to Donald Trump’s America, from the ‘Great Mutiny’ of 1857–59 to the July crisis of 1914, Jeremy Black offers the first treatment on a universal scale of a major historical problem. By one of the most accredited historians of war, this is a work rich in thoughts and information.”
—Luigi Loreto, University of Naples

“A wide-ranging, ambitious, and thought-provoking account of the history of war as a concept and a phenomenon. Jeremy Black sheds new light on a question of ongoing relevance, using the past to help us understand war today—and in the future.”
—David G. Morgan-Owen, King’s College London

“Jeremy Black’s War and Its Causes is a sweeping and highly informed history of war from pre-history to the present with a detailed analysis of wars from 1500 on. It brings in the latest diplomatic history as well as insights from social and cultural history. While not everyone will agree with his views, they are always thought-provoking and illustrated with many examples. Social scientists, in particular, will find this book very useful in their research and teaching. It is highly readable but well documented. Another gem!”
—John Vasquez, Mackie Scholar in International Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This interdisciplinary book assesses the causes of war, considering what war actually is—key for understanding its causes. Black marshals global examples from the fifteenth century to the present, analyzing the three main types of war—between cultures, within cultures, and civil—emphasizing the social and cultural factors leading to conflict.

This book will provide an innovative global military history that joins three periods—World War I, the interwar years, and World War II. Jeremy offers a comprehensive survey of both wars, comparing continuities and differences. He traces the causes of each war and assesses land, sea, and air warfare as separate dimensions.